Pokemon Go players can put their hunting skills to the test at the Aug 27 #TangkapMO1 rally, and try to 'catch' the most elusive creature of them all: Malaysian Official 1 (MO1).

Activist Hishamuddin Rais urged Malaysians to take to the streets that day and capture MO1, the unidentified individual mentioned in the United States Department of Justice's lawsuits related to 1MDB.

"I call on all Malaysian to turn up, we are going to catch him (MO1) just like we catch Pokemon," he said at a press conference jointly held by Bersih and nine other NGOs, in Petaling Jaya.

Echoing Hishamuddin, Center to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4) executive director Cynthia Gabriel jokingly said MO1 may be the hardest Pokemon to catch.

The NGOs were holding the press conference to express their support for the #TangkapMO1 rally organised by a group called Gerakan Anak Muda.

The other NGOs were Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram), Pusat Komas, Lawyers for Liberty (LFL), National Human Right Society (Hakam), Association of Women Lawyers, Sister in Islam (SIS), Empower and Ikram Malaysia.

The groups called for the police to facilitate Gerakan Anak Muda, which will be discussing the arrangement of the protest with the authorities today.

'Let the rally be peaceful'

They also pledged to provide legal support to those who join the #TangkapMO1 rally.

"The freedom to peaceful assembly is a right guaranteed for all Malaysians under the Federal Constitution. This right is applicable to all Malaysians, including the youth and students.

"To this end, we call on the Royal Malaysian Police to give their full cooperation and allow the rally to take place peacefully," said the 10 NGOs in a joint media statement that was read out at the press conference.

"We applaud the dedication and courage shown by the youth and student leaders in organising #TangkapMO1 rally," they said.

The group also condemned the arrest of student activist Ariffin Amin by the auxiliary police of University Teknologi Mara (UiTM) yesterday for organising a briefing on 1MDB and MO1 issues.

"I am tired of education ministry officials telling university students to study instead of do this (organising rally and going to the streets).

"In the history of students movement, we can study and we change the world," said Global Bersih steering committee member Ivy Josiah.

"It doesn't mean these students are not studying. It is because they are good students, that's why they are leading in a demonstration to bring about justice and to catch MO1," said Ivy.

Higher Education Minister Idris Jusoh had advised university students against participating in student rallies, saying they should focus on their studies to obtain their degrees.

Meanwhile, Lena Hendry, the programme coordinator of human rights group Pusat Komas, said the country is currently crippled by corruption.

"We heard that investigations were going on but nothing happened. If left like this, with this level of corruption, we would not have a country in the future anymore.

"And all of us would basically be refugees or would have to go to different countries," she said.